BizTUCSON Spring 2016 Issue

From the Publisher BizTUCSON Spring 2016 Issue  –

For nearly nine decades, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base has been a cornerstone of our region. Estimates place the local economic impact of D-M at $1.5 billion in 2014. David Pittman provides in-depth coverage of recent developments at D-M. An interview with Col. James Meger gives us insight into community partnerships and the vision for the base’s future.

The Pentagon recently approved a measure to delay retirement of the A-10 Thunderbolt II jet, also known as the “Warthog,” until 2022. Arizona’s political and business leaders praised this decision but also remain cautious about D-M’s future. “The A-10s are going to go away at some point; it’s not if but when,” said DM50 president Brian Harpel.

Col. Meger is being honored as a “Father of the Year” by the Father’s Day Council Tucson on May 19, along with community leaders Barry Baker, Edmund Marquez, John Lewis, George Larsen and Tom Warne. Proceeds from the gala fund Type 1 diabetes research at the UA Steele Children’s Research Center.

Community support of our veterans and their families is demonstrated at the Fisher House, which recently opened on the campus of the VA Hospital with significant philanthropic support. Tucson is one of 66 U.S. cities with a Fisher House, which gives veterans’ families a place to stay while their loved ones are being treated at VA facilities.

For 45 years, El Rio Community Health Center has provided Tucsonans with a national model of innovative healthcare for all. Mary Minor Davis files a special report on El Rio which is the choice for more than 92,000 patients at 11 campuses citywide. It has an annual budget of $124 million, a staff of 1,100 and is primed for even greater growth.

On a global scale, the world-class team at Ventana Medical Systems continues to raise the bar for cancer diagnostics. Dan Sorenson shares news about the new VENTANA HE 600 system, which is said to improve the quality and consistency of cancer pathology results.

Another reason for international acclaim is Tucson’s recent designation by UNESCO as the nation’s only “City of Gastronomy.” Journalist Edie Jarolim shares all of the exciting details and what this will mean for our region’s tourism.

On the subject of tourism, Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort is the subject of a special report also written by Mary Minor Davis. It’s a story of historic charm spanning 87 years, southwest architecture, dedication to cuisine and local artists, with a carefully crafted expansion and renovation.

Jay Gonzales files a special report on Encantada at Tucson National, HSL Properties’ brand of luxury rental apartments with a “resort feel.” With HSL’s four decades of success in real estate, founders Humberto Lopez and Glenn Toyoshima and new president Omar Mireles have branched out with four Encantada communities.

As BizTucson celebrates its seventh anniversary as the region’s business magazine, we want to give a special thank you to our advertisers, who invest their marketing dollars to reach the region’s top executives, and to you, our readers, who give us positive feedback and share ideas for future coverage. We also thank our stellar team for contributions of outstanding journalism, editing, design and photography.

Thank you to our Creative Director Brent G. Mathis, for his exceptional graphic design and photography, and to Contributing Editors Donna Kreutz and Jay Gonzales for their unwavering dedication to journalistic quality in writing and editing. Thanks to friends and colleagues. Plus, a heartfelt thank you to my very supportive family and especially, to my wife Rebecca.

Steven E. Rosenberg
Publisher & Owner
BizTucson